Timing gears

-
T

Torrance1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2015
Messages
139
Reaction score
19
Location
Calif
Hi guys
Been awhile since I've been on this site, and a while back
while on the way home, my 74 Dart died on the street, luckly I got to the side
of the road and had AAA pick me and the car up...Damn I was only half mile from
my house. Ok, so I thought it was the ignition module but when I replaced it, nothing
so I took the Dist cap of and tried kicking her over... fine except the rotor did not move.
Right away I got on the net and bought a new gear set S.A. Gear
It's one of these that three key ways,
Questions becomes what timing should I set it at.
0= Factory setting
A= Camshaft advance 4 deg

Any input will be appreciated
 
Torrance1 said:
Hi guys
Been awhile since I've been on this site, and a while back
while on the way home, my 74 Dart died on the street, luckly I got to the side
of the road and had AAA pick me and the car up...Damn I was only half mile from
my house. Ok, so I thought it was the ignition module but when I replaced it, nothing
so I took the Dist cap of and tried kicking her over... fine except the rotor did not move.
Right away I got on the net and bought a new gear set S.A. Gear
It's one of these that three key ways,
Questions becomes what timing should I set it at.
0= Factory setting
A= Camshaft advance 4 deg

Any input will be appreciated
Click to expand...
Torrance1, I just installed an Edelbrock timing chain and gear set on my 65 273 Commando motor. Instructions stated 0 factory setting. Hope this helps!
 
Advanced would be an experiment at this time since you don't know how it's set right now probably.
If a factory style set of chain and sprockets comes off then 0 is the safe mark to go by.

If you get farther into it the cam degreeing can be checked and altered to aid in solving some possible problems like moving the RPM range up higher or lower for performance adjustments.
 
Not just a good chance, but more like a 100% chance.
 
I was lucky, I was stopped at a light. the car just stopped
running, I was able to coast to the corner and check it.


Best
 
so the rotor did not move, what was the problem-a stripped nylon factory top timing chain sprocket. or a problem at the rear of the engine with the distrib drive system? what cam? advancing the cam is more low end and less top end. retarding the cam is more top end and less low end. after U run it do a cranking compression test and get back to us
 
Top nylon teeth.. after all she is in her 40's
The engine is Stock, less then 65K original miles...
usual age problems, hoses, belts, PS pump, water pump
Dist... I did away with the factory ignition and went with the
gm module... that was hard but, it is so simple...
Best
 
Back in the 80's I put in a new timing set advanced 4 degrees as an experiment because I read in a Hot Rod that many of the smog era motors had the cam retarded for emissions purposes and advancing it would help power. Man what a difference in low end response it made! I never raced the car but it sure felt a lot stronger. They never mentioned anything about valve interference so I didn't check it but with such low lift (almost always .400 or less) and the pistons down in the hole so far like they were then I'd be surprised if advancing it 4 degrees would be a problem on most anything. JMHO
 
Oh yeah. You ever taken an engine apart that had the nylon stripped off the timing gear? The junk generally ends up sucked up in the oil pickup partially plugging it up cutting down on oil flow to the engine. You can imagine how hard that is on the engine. I always drop the pan and clean it out. PITA, yes. But so is rebuilding the engine and it costs a lot more
 
I pulled the pan, A OK... oil pickup OK..
Like I said, I was very lucky.
On the other point, with Hydraulic lifters and stock
engine, I think it would be pretty hard to bend
a valve, I checked and mine are fine, It's when
get into those high lift cams...
anyway thanks for the input.
Best
 
Did you do a leakdown/ compression test? My stock 318 bent the crap out of several valves.
 
A side note, I started putting the 318 back together today
I had removed the single exhaust and pulled the
passenger side manifold. I had not even noticed that
there were no gaskets, none.. One thing that gave this
away was the 3\4 bolts... What is funny is that the
engine bay all these years never showed a sign of
exhaust soot... none on the manifold, or on the valve
covers..
go figure..
I had pulled the bolts then went to lows to pick up
some grade 5, its when I got home and stated to use
them that I found this all out
But I can not figure when someone would have
taken the exhaust manifold off I mean the car has
been in the family for 25 years... and it was a local
car, that was given to my Dad... and the man that owned
it was not a mechanic.. oh there are odd things that
happen around this house..
Best
 
really, did not know that... even so the 3\4 bolts were
to short.
I did install gaskets
thanks for that info
Best
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top